Knowing Christopher's sense of humour and his cheerful chatter ‘Stanley the knife' 'Mr Scissors' and 'Michael The Screwdriver' I think it’s fully intentional. I somehow think that in the classes he teaches and his talks he does that he has everyone’s full attention.
It took me a while to figure out how to get my printer to work with Linux. That would be great for another episode. I’m sure others are having the same problem.
I was worried I'd run into a problem with my wireless printer but Ubuntu found it with no issues or installing on my part. Was definitely a load off my mind.
The advice to try out open source programs on windows before switching is so good and now I wonder why I never thought of getting people to do that before!
One beauty of Linux is if you like how things were you can keep stuff that way. Linux is so customizable you have the option of using stuff as old as dirt if you want to. Some do too. I do myself. I know others who also use really ancient software on Linux. There's new stuff but the old stuff lingers. Some code just needs some porting to build today. It's different than the Windows world.
For dual boot on separate hard drives, you don't need to select at BIOS level. Install Windows and it's bootloader on one, and Linux with GRUB on the other, and create a chainload entry in GRUB to load Windows. Doing this means that the chances of a corrupt bootloader are about the same as the chance of a corrupt bootloader on a single OS system.
Stephen, that's a good tip you give. You can also not use the GRUB menu at all and select OS by your BIOS select boot drive key. Saves some seconds by not displaying the GRUB menu if loading the default OS. E.g. at home i usually boot to Mint. Power on and don't touch anything. If i want Windows, after power on i press the BIOS boot drive selection key (usually F11, F12 or F9) and select my Windows disk. About dual boot on a single drive: The Boot Repair tool in Mint saved me a couple of times. And another case: if you removed your Linux partitions and you can't also boot Windows as a consequence, then you boot WIndows install media, click repair your computer, then command prompt and then you issue various bootrec commands
Basically, the rule is that Windows will NOT respect the bootloaders and partitions of other operating systems. Heck, they're so childish about this, they refuse to even name and identify non-Windows partitions - it won't say "Linux" or "Linux swap" (even though all such partitions fully identify themselves in a standard way and there's no excuse for Windows tools not to just look up the "type" of the partition from the well-known type numbers and report what's actually on there), but Windows tools will, at best, lie by saying "unknown" and, at worst, mislead by suggesting "unformatted / corrupt", when there's nothing whatsoever wrong with it. Due to this childishness, on a dual boot system, you should install Windows first and then install Linux second. Because Windows acts like it owns the place and it will just blindly overwrite the bootsector - which likely has something like GRUB on it from installing Linux first - with its own bootloader. it will utterly disregard whatever's on it and overwrite it. Yes, Windows causes the corruption and it's very much doing it purposefully, as there's really no excuse for this. Partitions clearly identify themselves and Windows DOES perform checks on the bootsector to detect previous versions of Windows. They could so easily bundle in extra checks for other known operating systems and ask "are you sure?". So, yeah, you install Windows first, then Linux second. Because Linux will respect Windows and not trash its bootloader. But the reverse is not the same. Windows will blindly kill anything that's not a Windows bootloader and install its own bootloader over the top of it. Furthermore, Windows Updates to the bootloader? This could potentially trigger it to do it later. So, yeah, install Windows and Linux on separate hard drives and make sure that GRUB is on the Linux drive. Windows at least respects not trashing things on some other hard drive (at least currently). And then boot by default to the GRUB / Linux drive, which'll also provide a menu entry to boot into Windows. (The complaint that this means you're dependent on the GRUB drive to boot into Windows isn't really true. Most BIOSes / UEFIs provide a "boot menu" - pressing F11 or F12 or whatever - and you can specify booting into the Windows drive directly or set it as the default boot drive from there.) It's Windows causing the "corruption". Let's be 100% clear on that. (Provably so. Install a dual boot system - Windows first, Linux second - and then, well, never boot into Windows at any point. Nothing will ever go wrong, as Windows is never given the chance to corrupt things. You can empirically prove this to yourself. Although, I do know directly - from dealing with disks and bootsectors and such - that Windows is doing this and it's the sole cause of the problems. But Microsoft is very good at FUD - fear, uncertainty, doubt - and casting aspersions that maybe Linux is at fault. Maybe. Look, these Windows' tools are saying "unformatted / corrupt". Which is just a lie, by the way. Heck, most Linux distros ship with NTFS filesystem drivers. Linux can read Windows partitions without any problem. It totally knows what's on that drive, so it wouldn't corrupt it, even if it was writing to that drive - which it absolutely 100% wouldn't do for any reason, unless the user initiated an action telling it to do so.)
Thanks, Chris - this video has boosted my confidence with respect to ditching Windows and adopting Linux as my full time OS. Look forward to future videos on the subject.
Good man Dave! I'm 65 and I started to learn 2 years ago on an old computer that I didn't mind breaking. You can make the learning curve as steep or as shallow as you want it to be. I treat learning as a hobby to keep my mind active.
@@truthislam6481 That's good to hear - I'm 67 and have been in electronics all my adult life, used Windows since 3.1. As long as I can get Linux to operate my external monitors then it'll all be good! I'm going to set up Linux on an oldish laptop first and see what happens. The Windows 11 systems requirements are what finally decided my new course of action - even my 5 year old Lenovo does not qualify! 😖 Thanks for your comment.
You are such a great trainer and I always go away knowing more about things than I did before. I plan on obtaining an external SSD drive bay now so I can swap into Windows when I need to for work while using Linux and testing Proton for the Steam games I play. Thanks!
Top three slots were filled just when I got the notification. Wow !! BTW, this video series is great for someone who's planning to migrate to Linux from windows and still want the windows programs support.
I use a Windows 10 computer for my business, it is always on and I restart it every evening. I built this PC last year using a Ryzen 5 and 16 GB of memory. All the drives are SSD's. My primary computer (the one I use the most) is a Lenovo V570 laptop from 2013 running Ubuntu 20.04. I can connect to my Windows PC from anywhere using RealVNC, even from my smart phone. This is the system that works best for my business and personal computing. I need to learn W11 (for my business) and your VirtualBox registry hack has me thinking that it will be one of my Winter projects, after I get all these leafs to the curb. Speaking of which, it's time for me to turn off my laptop and grab a rake and leaf blower. Great video and thanks for keeping the content interesting.
Chris, that long-nosed bunny is some serious nightmare fuel! 😱 All kidding apart, excellent video, as always. As a long-time Linux user, I sometimes feel that my preferred platform doesn't get the credit it deserves but thanks to this series, I am confident that many will find switching far less daunting than they might have imagined
This is a very interesting series. Perhaps the most unknown aspect of Linux is its level of security. I believe there are programs that can monitor or improve Linux security but which produce long complex logs that I probably wouldn't understand so an intro to maintaining and improving security at a basic level would be very useful. I have previously used your video on installing Virtual Box to run office 365 and it works perfectly.
I’m a long time PC user, from the IBM PC XT and IBM DOS 2.1 to Windows server 2012. I’ve been aware of Linux since I learned IPv4. I’m retired from the MIS world. I have years old laptops that I know will be useful with the correct linux distro and software. I found your channel at just the right time. Very well presented information. Subscribed and feeding the algorithms.
First-28 Love those episodes about Linux. I’ve implemented this OS in my life since I started watching this channel about 6 years ago when I bought my first Raspberry Pi. Good stuff as always.
I love that storage has become so cheap, fast, and small. I've used the Drive Swap Dual Boot method for over a decade, via an IcyDock four bay enclosure. It's really cool to use SSDs now much in the way I used floppies in the 80s. :)
I've just retired from a career in IT, starting on IBM's System 370 in the 70's. It's horrifying to see how the desire of vendors to keep control has made home use more and more complex. Despite opportunity geekdom has meant that we're still dealing with complex commands, multiple incompatibilities. Finicky and crappy languages that have much more complex errors than assembler or COBOL. Rant over. Thanks for persuading me that despite using Linux servers and windows workstations for the last couple of decades, there is no hope of practical simplicity. I need the easy way out, I don't want to waste the time I have left fighting with this nonsense any more. I no longer get paid for it. Now, can I do all I need on a simple tablet? Probably. Frankly it's insane.
Yes, it's easy to get tired from this type of sh*t, when you work in the field. E.g. when Windows Update, which is supposed to make things better, breaks printing and you have to fix this on a number of clients' computers
Hail Technical Brother! My career began in the 70s as well (writing COBOL for a DEC PDP8E) and I agree: I want the simplest practical solutions I can get on lightweight hardware.
You cannot blame vendors if their customers constantly demand more complex technology. Everyone wants to live large and too much is never enough. Now if you can manage to get by with less yourself then you can manage to keep things relatively simple I suppose. Good luck finding your balance in retirement.
@@1pcfred Just one example. I saw a lot of po reassure from fashion freaks to constantly change languages used for development. Each switch increased development and maintenance costs due to longer development times caused by immature languages, obscure errors which should have been trapped at compiler, later IDE stage. Multi language installations meaning staff became generalists and dealing with errors took longer. Dumb customers was a big part of the problem, I agree. IBM used to say expect 8 lines of code per programmer per day. Those 8 lines could do a lot. Now it's barely a function call. Net result was my guys spending three times as long as they did ten years earlier to develop equivalents with each language change.
@@kevgermany I think I know what you're talking about. Change for change sake. Playing Devil's advocate we still don't know what we're doing at the dawn of the Information Age yet. As sophisticated as things may seem now we're really just getting started. There's plenty of evolution yet to come.
As i said before explaining computers is the best educational videos on computer technology, this is the best place To learn,Christopher’s explains in a manner that’s easy to follow and understand,👍
Listening to another channel's videos I realize one of the reason yours are so much better is because they are so much better written and so well thought out. I've become allergic to unscripted videos.
Excellent promotion of Linux, 10 years ago I moved over from Windows and have never looked back. Though the thought of using Windows within Linux (Wine or VM) has always concerned me - security, I don't want to be bombarded by the malware associated with Windows! All the best, Beamer.
Not looking back is the key to moving forward. People who try to run Linux with excess Windows baggage struggle. I watched this video because it is something I know almost nothing about. I've run Wine a couple times briefly. Been running Linux for 26 years now.
@@1pcfred 26 years that must be a record? *Congratulations* Whilst Linux is now fairly easy, in the past, it could be a tad tricky. For me, that manifested itself in printer, scanner and WiFi areas. Today, most of my engagement and communication is online, but Linux still seems to have some issues with Bluetooth. As the mantra goes: Don't complain - get involved with the solution :) All the best, Beamer.
@@beamer.electronics I run into a lot of people that have been running Linux longer than me. OK maybe not a lot but a fair number. I am in the under 200K club though. Less than 200,000 had run Linux before I started running it. I never tried Bluetooth out. I have done Wi-Fi a couple times. Stuff does seem complicated from the get go. Getting my modem to work back in the day was no easy feat. I found a ncurses utility that helped me generate the required scripts. ppp-setup. Or something. Was a long time ago. I still remember the initialization string. AT&F1 That was the magic that made my modem work.
I was talking to my friend yesterday about how I haven’t used Windows in the last 6 months and I don’t miss it. I now use Mac OS because I bought a M1 Mac Mini and my PC is running Linux Mint.
As a long time windows user, I have been afraid to make the jump to Linux. This video is exactly what I needed to explain options of switching over & dual OS's in the same box. Huge thanks.
Your fear is justified. Linux is a lot different than Windows. Most cannot make the transition. The ones that can are the ones that can let go and embrace Linux for what it is. If you can't do that then forget about it. I tell people you gotta wanna. Linux will test your commitment often too. Yesterday I wanted to compile some software and the configurator was giving me a hard time. I couldn't figure out what it was complaining about. So I just commented out a section of its checks. Because they dealt with versions of a compiler that I don't use. It worked but it still gave me a moment of pause and doubt. Wasn't smooth sailing, you know?
Excellent video - explains well the methods and advantages of running Windows software inside Linux operating systems using Virtualbox. Users need to be made aware that the reverse can also apply - Linux operating systems can also be run in Windows 10, etc. again using the same Virtualbox method. It's an ideal way to try out a Linux 'distro' (or two) from inside the safety of a Windows machine, if users are still unsure about taking the plunge into the world of Linux........
Wonderful useful video as usual Prof. Yes using VMs has become my preferred way of sampling different OSes without any stress, it helps a lot with learning as you don't worry about breaking the system especially if you fully clone the original VM install so that you can just copy and mess around again without worries of re-installing.
Everything I’ve read about security on Linux seems to suggest that it is very secure. Of course, never opening a browser or an email, or any other app that has or can receive messages from the world outside the local network is also a very secure methodology. But…. Having said all that, security is somewhat a mystery inside Linux, at least to me. Would appreciate your excellent dissertation on the subject and any insight as to how secure Linux really is. Thanks.
Always a good day when ExplainingComputers drops a new video! Especially because I switched to Linux a couple of weeks ago and need a survival guide lol
I recently switched my entire workflow from windows to linux and a series like this would have saved me tons of time and googling. Really looking forward to more videos on this topic!
On most Linux distros ,merely highlighting a line of text copies it to the clipboard , no Ctrl + C or right click menu required. Likewise, a mouse middle click pastes the copied text.
@@paulg3336 I think it is a X Window thing really. There's actually a daemon that works that way in the console too. It is called gpm. All distros do is package software up. Well, they screw with it a bit too sometimes.
What a fantastic and informative video. And what a useful list of references in the description too. On the downside, I notice that 3D Train Studio remained installed on the LM machine, so if Mr Barnatt disappears off the scene for a couple of weeks or even months, don't panic.
Thank you, Mr. Barnatt. 🙏🏼 I'm thrilled to know that all those options exist, and very impressed by Linux' flexibility in particular. I have it in mind to maintain separate, dedicated Windows and Linux platforms (I have desk space for each, and more than enough components lying around to build the latter), but the ability to set up *virtual machines* in Linux is simply brilliant. Quite a 'Nice to Have' option in case I ever need it. _On to the next video!_ 👍🏼
Thanks for the clear gimickless video. I have personal experience of Windows corrupting a Bootcamp partition on my Mac. Without warning could not get the Mac to boot. Luckily I have a good Apple repair centre who sorted me out (had to reformat the hard drive!!) I have the following setup now, very old PC running WindowsXP (not online), a newer PC for Windows 10, Mac for most of my work, and a really old Laptop running Linux Mint! Moral of the story don't throw away old computers!
Having suffered a number dual boot issues/corruptions long ago, I once opted to run 2 separate PC's with one for working and one for entertainment. A costly solution indeed, but it really was the best option. The detachment was perfect and ensured my focus was optimal. I need to repurpose an older machine for a deep dive into Linux as I don't want the hassle of dual boot issues.
So many yt channels deal with the exotic and the arcane, which is fine, but where Chris shines is in the bread and butter stuff: simple basic things but explained VERY well. This is professional grade training from a gifted teacher and it hasn’t cost us a penny. Thanks for all the time you put into this Chris.
Another fantastic video Chris. I currently run several Linux distros in VMs on my Win PC, thanks to your videos, it makes my learning cure toward Linux so much more accessible.
I appreciate you and your channel enough to have referenced many of your topics to friends. In my mind, security trumps networking and all other topics.
You make the world a better place💐 @ Dual boot: ...One learns a lot about Grub, boot-loaders and Windows recovery...🙄 A solution I had good experiences with was keeping the old pc when I bought a new one and running the old with Linux! I was able to extend the use of an old system for 10 years! One reason I was able to do this was a ...certain computer explaining channel that informed me about dystros that cater to old hardware! 😉
love the diction and pacing of your videos. it's almost therapeautic. i'm always learning one thing or another from every upload even as an "IT guy". thanks for your service to the public!
After watching and reading some of the other operating systems out there, I just really want to learn more about them, and these videos are doing an amazing job at it.
Another great video Chris! Abstraction rules! Something I’ve noticed is that any application or OS, through ongoing use, trains us to accept its own particular ways as normal. Use it and in time it becomes intuitive, but this is different from instinctive. By using Windows, Linux and MacOS regularly it is possible to become quite multi-lingual, which seems to enhance the experience of them all. I’d love to see a video on ‘abstraction’, and how it so totally (and helpfully) creates an illusion that there is more here than zeros and ones. BSD and Linux are so close that the differences are more like local accents than different species. The abstraction fools us so helpfully.
A thoroughly interesting video from Chris at EC, I learn something new every Sunday! I think that security for the next video in this series is important, running windows software in wine does come with it's risks, not to say that Linux is a 100% secure it's not. Maybe another video about running a VM using pass through in quemu KVM where it can access the GPU for better performance in video/photo editing or for games, maybe in the pipeline? :)
Awesome episode. Although I have been using Debian for years at home, I always pick up helpful information from your episodes. Again, great series, and I hope more viewers open their eyes get away from expensive and proprietary software, and finally become part of the greater community that has made the transition. Cheers.
what an amazing content! Thanks Chris! While I already knew most things I still learnt something and you style of presentation is unmatched on youtube. One of the few channells among the 60 I am subscribed to that has "all notifications" enabled
Thanks Christopher, interesting video. I declare I am solely using Linux everyday, I'll continue to use virtual machines for installing Windoz when I really have to!
This is great info for the newcomer. I'm a long time linux users, as long as is possible actually. But always had to keep a dual boot or a separate Windows machine to run Windows software. But happily I'm almost free of such software outside of work, and they have provided me with a laptop specifically for work. So my personal machines for the first time can be all Linux. My kids play games so they will stick with Windows for the foreseeable future. Until Linux becomes accepted by the game developer industry anyway.
Yet another exceptional guide, Chris, and as a recent adopter of Linux for my daily computing I'm sure I'm going to run into a Windows-need at some point and this is where I'll turn for help. ... However, I found myself considerably distracted once you showed off 3D Train Studio. I'm not even a model train guy (though I'm growing to appreciate them as well as real trains via a LOT of UK tv series devoted to them) but I immediately needed to look this up and see if I can get it running on my laptop!
Clear, concise and complete as usual. I've been playing around with ARM distros for my Raspberry Pi 400 and have been seeing some interesting choices. I'm interested in using WINE on the ARM platform.
Best way to enjoy both operating systems is keeping Windows on your main laptop and buy a second laptop (lower in specs, could be second hand) for Linux.
Thanks a bunch for these videos. They really help with my understanding of Linux. I learn something from every video of yours, even if I feel I know a subject you cover. Keep up the great work!
15:18 Local accounts can be created in Home Edition, simply by tricking the installer by disconnecting your VM from the Internet right when it asks for your Microsoft account. Or, you can use Pro Edition as you have done in this video.
I am surprised to hear this, as I have tried repeatedly to create a local account in the Windows 11 Home edition by disconnecting as you, and always on installation reboots it requires an account to be created before it will complete (unlike in Windows 10, where this indeed words). Being online is, after all, a requirement of Home installation. But I can believe there are hacks!
Great video as usual from EC! I could never see any good reason for switching from Unix-type operating systems to DOS, and later Windows, so don't have that problem of switching to Linux with all its associated withdrawal symptoms. My recommendation for Windows users is to go cold-turkey, dump it entirely for Linux, then never look back. 🙂
Thank you, is avery helpful presentation, you a are a great trainer, when I need any clarifications I'm looking in "EC" at the biggening and in 7 of 10 time I found what I need, really thank you Mr Barnett.
Thank you for another great video! I'm actually trying to get my work pc setup to run linux with windows on a virtual machine recently, so this helps a lot. I would like to see a video on networking. In particular, how to connect with RDP and shared network folders between Linux and windows pc's on a local network. Thanks again. Take care
the linux security is what gets my attention most networking i already have learned and printing and obviously i know gaming on linux Isn't covered in this channel but that's fine with me i had a SSD before and i liked it
Great Video! Love the series. My vote would be Network, then Security, then peripherals like printers. Running my duel boot daily driver and have had a few hung boots. Haven't yet made a VM of Windows in Linux yet, and I think you have just given me the inspiration to take that next step. The XP VM is a great idea. Thanks again, for another great video.
Those installation rabbit holes are sufficiently contorted that keeping a trail of breadcrumbs (or roll of wool, if you're a classicist) in the form of copious notes is pretty well mandatory. Even if you don't have to retreat a step or two occasionally, it must be easy to forget which stage you've reached.
I agree it's the only way to go. The most important thing to do first is defrag the windows hard drive then backup everything. I watched quite a lot of RUclips vids & took copious notes of how to install the system safely, use of the various terminal commands (nothing to be scared of) & how to repair grub using a live ISO and the terminal. I did several dry runs using the live disk before switching to a dual boot system (Linux Mint 17.3 & W7). I've never looked back
Keeping detailed notes was a technique I discovered for myself very early on. Trying to juggle everything in the mind may seem possible and perhaps it even is. But why make things harder than they need to be? Then if I ever need to refer back to what I've done computers are better at remembering than I am.
This Linux series was a good idea and there's good stuff here. I'm sure I would have learned a lot from it it it was around when I switched to Linux. But I did okay anyway. I agree that the virtual-machine option is the way to go in more important applications and that's my plan for the one thing I have that needs Windows when the time comes. Much to my surprise, when I needed to set up a Zoom situation for a family member last year, I saw that they had a native Linux version available. I was expecting having to make it work either with WINE or a VM, so that made things a lot easier. Very smart on their part, in my opinion.
An addition I'd make the the Remote Desktop option: I have a spare PC I run as a Media Server, but it is running standard Windows underneath, so I can run any programs I need through an RDP client. Granted, it can be expensive to buy an entirely new PC just for occasional use, but mine is a used Dell Optiplex 3020 that I got from Ebay for only around £40, and it works like an absolute dream. Compact case too!
@@ExplainingComputers / hi Chris, yes it’s a welcome change. Something new for all of us Sunday morning desk jockey’s. 👍🏼 Update. Received my new Raspberry Pi zero 2 yesterday so it time to switch out the old one and see how MotionEye0S works on the “2” Cheers
Your videos are excellent, and I find the 1980s BBC presenting style most comforting, whether you do it intentionally or not!
Me too. Can't stand all those American hipsters full of clichés and waffle. Chris just gets on with it.
@@williamgiddings9636 Admittedly, the Belgian waffles are always better than the American sort.
Intentionally for sure! Ans I like it a lot 😀
Knowing Christopher's sense of humour and his cheerful chatter ‘Stanley the knife' 'Mr Scissors' and 'Michael The Screwdriver' I think it’s fully intentional. I somehow think that in the classes he teaches and his talks he does that he has everyone’s full attention.
@@williamgiddings9636 Don't forget about Canadian hipsters.
These kinds of current and broad descriptions of all the options for setting up Linux and windows are pure gold. Thank you!
You my dear sir, are like a beacon of light in the darkness that is the "free" OS field.
:)
It took me a while to figure out how to get my printer to work with Linux. That would be great for another episode. I’m sure others are having the same problem.
Thanks for this. I was thinking that a video on drivers and printing should probably come next, so this is useful feddback. :)
@@ExplainingComputers And scanners! can't get mine to admit scanners exist. SANE is crazy!
And zorin couldn't find my network adapter.
I was worried I'd run into a problem with my wireless printer but Ubuntu found it with no issues or installing on my part. Was definitely a load off my mind.
@@ExplainingComputers Yes Christopher, more Awesomness!
Gaming on Linux is moving in a really positive direction currently.
Been moving in positive direction when will it reach destination.
Steam Deck could be massive in this.
Own gaming, own the world.
Linux Cu*k
@@Ryochan7 anime profile picture
The advice to try out open source programs on windows before switching is so good and now I wonder why I never thought of getting people to do that before!
Covering all the options is a breath of fresh air
I must be getting old, seeing that classic Office UI made me feel all fuzzy and warm for a moment.
One beauty of Linux is if you like how things were you can keep stuff that way. Linux is so customizable you have the option of using stuff as old as dirt if you want to. Some do too. I do myself. I know others who also use really ancient software on Linux. There's new stuff but the old stuff lingers. Some code just needs some porting to build today. It's different than the Windows world.
When Anthony from Linus Tech Tips did not give us a Linux Guide, you are who we turn to! And good reason to too.
Thanks!
For dual boot on separate hard drives, you don't need to select at BIOS level. Install Windows and it's bootloader on one, and Linux with GRUB on the other, and create a chainload entry in GRUB to load Windows. Doing this means that the chances of a corrupt bootloader are about the same as the chance of a corrupt bootloader on a single OS system.
You dont have to do that the linux os will do all that for you. Just make sure you create an efi boot partition and install grub to that.
@@keibohow69 and if you remove this disk you can't boot Windows anymore.
Stephen, that's a good tip you give. You can also not use the GRUB menu at all and select OS by your BIOS select boot drive key. Saves some seconds by not displaying the GRUB menu if loading the default OS. E.g. at home i usually boot to Mint. Power on and don't touch anything. If i want Windows, after power on i press the BIOS boot drive selection key (usually F11, F12 or F9) and select my Windows disk. About dual boot on a single drive: The Boot Repair tool in Mint saved me a couple of times. And another case: if you removed your Linux partitions and you can't also boot Windows as a consequence, then you boot WIndows install media, click repair your computer, then command prompt and then you issue various bootrec commands
Basically, the rule is that Windows will NOT respect the bootloaders and partitions of other operating systems.
Heck, they're so childish about this, they refuse to even name and identify non-Windows partitions - it won't say "Linux" or "Linux swap" (even though all such partitions fully identify themselves in a standard way and there's no excuse for Windows tools not to just look up the "type" of the partition from the well-known type numbers and report what's actually on there), but Windows tools will, at best, lie by saying "unknown" and, at worst, mislead by suggesting "unformatted / corrupt", when there's nothing whatsoever wrong with it.
Due to this childishness, on a dual boot system, you should install Windows first and then install Linux second.
Because Windows acts like it owns the place and it will just blindly overwrite the bootsector - which likely has something like GRUB on it from installing Linux first - with its own bootloader. it will utterly disregard whatever's on it and overwrite it. Yes, Windows causes the corruption and it's very much doing it purposefully, as there's really no excuse for this.
Partitions clearly identify themselves and Windows DOES perform checks on the bootsector to detect previous versions of Windows. They could so easily bundle in extra checks for other known operating systems and ask "are you sure?".
So, yeah, you install Windows first, then Linux second. Because Linux will respect Windows and not trash its bootloader. But the reverse is not the same. Windows will blindly kill anything that's not a Windows bootloader and install its own bootloader over the top of it.
Furthermore, Windows Updates to the bootloader? This could potentially trigger it to do it later.
So, yeah, install Windows and Linux on separate hard drives and make sure that GRUB is on the Linux drive. Windows at least respects not trashing things on some other hard drive (at least currently). And then boot by default to the GRUB / Linux drive, which'll also provide a menu entry to boot into Windows.
(The complaint that this means you're dependent on the GRUB drive to boot into Windows isn't really true. Most BIOSes / UEFIs provide a "boot menu" - pressing F11 or F12 or whatever - and you can specify booting into the Windows drive directly or set it as the default boot drive from there.)
It's Windows causing the "corruption". Let's be 100% clear on that.
(Provably so. Install a dual boot system - Windows first, Linux second - and then, well, never boot into Windows at any point. Nothing will ever go wrong, as Windows is never given the chance to corrupt things. You can empirically prove this to yourself. Although, I do know directly - from dealing with disks and bootsectors and such - that Windows is doing this and it's the sole cause of the problems.
But Microsoft is very good at FUD - fear, uncertainty, doubt - and casting aspersions that maybe Linux is at fault. Maybe. Look, these Windows' tools are saying "unformatted / corrupt". Which is just a lie, by the way. Heck, most Linux distros ship with NTFS filesystem drivers. Linux can read Windows partitions without any problem. It totally knows what's on that drive, so it wouldn't corrupt it, even if it was writing to that drive - which it absolutely 100% wouldn't do for any reason, unless the user initiated an action telling it to do so.)
Been dual booting Manjaro and windows for a while like this. No problems at all, gave priority to Grub of course.
By far the easiest to understand and to follow way of using WINE! Thanks a million.
Thanks, Chris - this video has boosted my confidence with respect to ditching Windows and adopting Linux as my full time OS.
Look forward to future videos on the subject.
Good man Dave!
I'm 65 and I started to learn 2 years ago on an old computer that I didn't mind breaking.
You can make the learning curve as steep or as shallow as you want it to be.
I treat learning as a hobby to keep my mind active.
@@truthislam6481 That's good to hear - I'm 67 and have been in electronics all my adult life, used Windows since 3.1. As long as I can get Linux to operate my external monitors then it'll all be good! I'm going to set up Linux on an oldish laptop first and see what happens.
The Windows 11 systems requirements are what finally decided my new course of action - even my 5 year old Lenovo does not qualify! 😖
Thanks for your comment.
Good man, Dave ... Hope it's working out well for you!
Never tried a virtual machine before, but will have a go now thanks to your explanation, thank you
This video alone is enough to convince some of my friends to try learn Linux, very detailed and informative!
You are such a great trainer and I always go away knowing more about things than I did before. I plan on obtaining an external SSD drive bay now so I can swap into Windows when I need to for work while using Linux and testing Proton for the Steam games I play. Thanks!
Top three slots were filled just when I got the notification. Wow !!
BTW, this video series is great for someone who's planning to migrate to Linux from windows and still want the windows programs support.
I use a Windows 10 computer for my business, it is always on and I restart it every evening. I built this PC last year using a Ryzen 5 and 16 GB of memory. All the drives are SSD's. My primary computer (the one I use the most) is a Lenovo V570 laptop from 2013 running Ubuntu 20.04. I can connect to my Windows PC from anywhere using RealVNC, even from my smart phone. This is the system that works best for my business and personal computing. I need to learn W11 (for my business) and your VirtualBox registry hack has me thinking that it will be one of my Winter projects, after I get all these leafs to the curb. Speaking of which, it's time for me to turn off my laptop and grab a rake and leaf blower. Great video and thanks for keeping the content interesting.
Revisiting some of your videos as I try to bring a truly ancient laptop back to life! Many thanks as always.
Good luck! :)
My preferred order for next episodes:
1- Security
2- Networking
3- Printing
Cheers Chris, great video as always!
Chris, that long-nosed bunny is some serious nightmare fuel! 😱 All kidding apart, excellent video, as always. As a long-time Linux user, I sometimes feel that my preferred platform doesn't get the credit it deserves but thanks to this series, I am confident that many will find switching far less daunting than they might have imagined
As we look to adapt old lab instruments to more modern computers, you give some very helpful ideas to try. Thanks!
Brilliant video, thank you! In terms of what comes next in this series, my preference is: 1. Security. 2. Networking. 3. Printing.
This is a very interesting series. Perhaps the most unknown aspect of Linux is its level of security. I believe there are programs that can monitor or improve Linux security but which produce long complex logs that I probably wouldn't understand so an intro to maintaining and improving security at a basic level would be very useful. I have previously used your video on installing Virtual Box to run office 365 and it works perfectly.
I’m a long time PC user, from the IBM PC XT and IBM DOS 2.1 to Windows server 2012. I’ve been aware of Linux since I learned IPv4. I’m retired from the MIS world. I have years old laptops that I know will be useful with the correct linux distro and software. I found your channel at just the right time. Very well presented information. Subscribed and feeding the algorithms.
First-28
Love those episodes about Linux. I’ve implemented this OS in my life since I started watching this channel about 6 years ago when I bought my first Raspberry Pi. Good stuff as always.
First 28 indeed! Another gold medal! :)
I love that storage has become so cheap, fast, and small. I've used the Drive Swap Dual Boot method for over a decade, via an IcyDock four bay enclosure. It's really cool to use SSDs now much in the way I used floppies in the 80s. :)
I've just retired from a career in IT, starting on IBM's System 370 in the 70's. It's horrifying to see how the desire of vendors to keep control has made home use more and more complex.
Despite opportunity geekdom has meant that we're still dealing with complex commands, multiple incompatibilities. Finicky and crappy languages that have much more complex errors than assembler or COBOL.
Rant over. Thanks for persuading me that despite using Linux servers and windows workstations for the last couple of decades, there is no hope of practical simplicity.
I need the easy way out, I don't want to waste the time I have left fighting with this nonsense any more. I no longer get paid for it.
Now, can I do all I need on a simple tablet? Probably.
Frankly it's insane.
Yes, it's easy to get tired from this type of sh*t, when you work in the field. E.g. when Windows Update, which is supposed to make things better, breaks printing and you have to fix this on a number of clients' computers
Hail Technical Brother! My career began in the 70s as well (writing COBOL for a DEC PDP8E) and I agree: I want the simplest practical solutions I can get on lightweight hardware.
You cannot blame vendors if their customers constantly demand more complex technology. Everyone wants to live large and too much is never enough. Now if you can manage to get by with less yourself then you can manage to keep things relatively simple I suppose. Good luck finding your balance in retirement.
@@1pcfred Just one example. I saw a lot of po reassure from fashion freaks to constantly change languages used for development. Each switch increased development and maintenance costs due to longer development times caused by immature languages, obscure errors which should have been trapped at compiler, later IDE stage. Multi language installations meaning staff became generalists and dealing with errors took longer.
Dumb customers was a big part of the problem, I agree. IBM used to say expect 8 lines of code per programmer per day. Those 8 lines could do a lot. Now it's barely a function call.
Net result was my guys spending three times as long as they did ten years earlier to develop equivalents with each language change.
@@kevgermany I think I know what you're talking about. Change for change sake. Playing Devil's advocate we still don't know what we're doing at the dawn of the Information Age yet. As sophisticated as things may seem now we're really just getting started. There's plenty of evolution yet to come.
As i said before explaining computers is the best educational videos on computer technology, this is the best place To learn,Christopher’s explains in a manner that’s easy to follow and understand,👍
Listening to another channel's videos I realize one of the reason yours are so much better is because they are so much better written and so well thought out. I've become allergic to unscripted videos.
:)
I dont really learn anyhting i dont know by listening to these videos. But your ability to explain and educate is so facinating! :D
Lots and lots of great information. I'm on the verge of pulling the trigger and migrating to Linux.
Excellent promotion of Linux, 10 years ago I moved over from Windows and have never looked back. Though the thought of using Windows within Linux (Wine or VM) has always concerned me - security, I don't want to be bombarded by the malware associated with Windows! All the best, Beamer.
Not looking back is the key to moving forward. People who try to run Linux with excess Windows baggage struggle. I watched this video because it is something I know almost nothing about. I've run Wine a couple times briefly. Been running Linux for 26 years now.
@@1pcfred 26 years that must be a record? *Congratulations* Whilst Linux is now fairly easy, in the past, it could be a tad tricky. For me, that manifested itself in printer, scanner and WiFi areas. Today, most of my engagement and communication is online, but Linux still seems to have some issues with Bluetooth. As the mantra goes: Don't complain - get involved with the solution :) All the best, Beamer.
@@beamer.electronics I run into a lot of people that have been running Linux longer than me. OK maybe not a lot but a fair number. I am in the under 200K club though. Less than 200,000 had run Linux before I started running it. I never tried Bluetooth out. I have done Wi-Fi a couple times. Stuff does seem complicated from the get go. Getting my modem to work back in the day was no easy feat. I found a ncurses utility that helped me generate the required scripts. ppp-setup. Or something. Was a long time ago. I still remember the initialization string. AT&F1 That was the magic that made my modem work.
I was talking to my friend yesterday about how I haven’t used Windows in the last 6 months and I don’t miss it. I now use Mac OS because I bought a M1 Mac Mini and my PC is running Linux Mint.
Yup, I use macOS and Linux in my personal life. Windows at work. Still an interesting video.
As a long time windows user, I have been afraid to make the jump to Linux. This video is exactly what I needed to explain options of switching over & dual OS's in the same box. Huge thanks.
Your fear is justified. Linux is a lot different than Windows. Most cannot make the transition. The ones that can are the ones that can let go and embrace Linux for what it is. If you can't do that then forget about it. I tell people you gotta wanna. Linux will test your commitment often too. Yesterday I wanted to compile some software and the configurator was giving me a hard time. I couldn't figure out what it was complaining about. So I just commented out a section of its checks. Because they dealt with versions of a compiler that I don't use. It worked but it still gave me a moment of pause and doubt. Wasn't smooth sailing, you know?
Excellent video - explains well the methods and advantages of running Windows software inside Linux operating systems using Virtualbox. Users need to be made aware that the reverse can also apply - Linux operating systems can also be run in Windows 10, etc. again using the same Virtualbox method. It's an ideal way to try out a Linux 'distro' (or two) from inside the safety of a Windows machine, if users are still unsure about taking the plunge into the world of Linux........
Wonderful useful video as usual Prof. Yes using VMs has become my preferred way of sampling different OSes without any stress, it helps a lot with learning as you don't worry about breaking the system especially if you fully clone the original VM install so that you can just copy and mess around again without worries of re-installing.
From my perspective it's more like a Windows survivor's guide to using Linux. :)
Nice.
As a Linux user since 2000, this has some very useful information- especially for Newbie's. But VirtualBox is not for the faint at heart!
Everything I’ve read about security on Linux seems to suggest that it is very secure. Of course, never opening a browser or an email, or any other app that has or can receive messages from the world outside the local network is also a very secure methodology. But…. Having said all that, security is somewhat a mystery inside Linux, at least to me. Would appreciate your excellent dissertation on the subject and any insight as to how secure Linux really is. Thanks.
Always a good day when ExplainingComputers drops a new video! Especially because I switched to Linux a couple of weeks ago and need a survival guide lol
I recently switched my entire workflow from windows to linux and a series like this would have saved me tons of time and googling. Really looking forward to more videos on this topic!
On most Linux distros ,merely highlighting a line of text copies it to the clipboard , no Ctrl + C or right click menu required.
Likewise, a mouse middle click pastes the copied text.
Most? I've never seen it any other way. That bit of the video did trouble me too.
@Betatroll you've lost control of your faculties.
@@1pcfred Me too but who knows what any one of the 300+ distros may do?
@@paulg3336 I think it is a X Window thing really. There's actually a daemon that works that way in the console too. It is called gpm. All distros do is package software up. Well, they screw with it a bit too sometimes.
Me / I (age 55) did what you suggested and now my main old laptop (2013) with 'Intel© Core™ i5-3230M CPU @ 2.60GHz × 2 and only 8 GB of RAM' runs Linux Mint 20.2 and even Windows 11 in an Oracle Virtual Box. The most exiting is that after Windows 11 went through its slow installation and update process, it now runs (after installing VirtualBox Guest Additions!!!!) as smooth as I ever could have imagined via a Virtual Box. Greetings from The Netherlands to you, Mr. Scissors (Meneer Schaar) and Stanley the Knife (Stanley het mes) :-)
This is a great to hear -- and shows others it can be done! :)
What a fantastic and informative video. And what a useful list of references in the description too.
On the downside, I notice that 3D Train Studio remained installed on the LM machine, so if Mr Barnatt disappears off the scene for a couple of weeks or even months, don't panic.
:)
A new ExpleaningComputers video, what a wonderful day
Greetings Marci. :)
Switched to Debian 11 from Windows 10 recently. Enjoying it a lot. Your videos have been a great help when I switched
Thank you, Mr. Barnatt. 🙏🏼
I'm thrilled to know that all those options exist, and very impressed by Linux' flexibility in particular. I have it in mind to maintain separate, dedicated Windows and Linux platforms (I have desk space for each, and more than enough components lying around to build the latter), but the ability to set up *virtual machines* in Linux is simply brilliant. Quite a 'Nice to Have' option in case I ever need it.
_On to the next video!_ 👍🏼
Greetings! I hope all is going well on your Linux journey.
@@ExplainingComputers Indeed it is! 😁
Thanks for the clear gimickless video. I have personal experience of Windows corrupting a Bootcamp partition on my Mac.
Without warning could not get the Mac to boot. Luckily I have a good Apple repair centre who sorted me out (had to reformat the hard drive!!) I have the following setup now, very old PC running WindowsXP (not online), a newer PC for Windows 10, Mac for most of my work, and a really old Laptop running Linux Mint! Moral of the story don't throw away old computers!
Having suffered a number dual boot issues/corruptions long ago, I once opted to run 2 separate PC's with one for working and one for entertainment. A costly solution indeed, but it really was the best option. The detachment was perfect and ensured my focus was optimal. I need to repurpose an older machine for a deep dive into Linux as I don't want the hassle of dual boot issues.
Cannot express how useful this video is for me. Very nice.
So many yt channels deal with the exotic and the arcane, which is fine, but where Chris shines is in the bread and butter stuff: simple basic things but explained VERY well. This is professional grade training from a gifted teacher and it hasn’t cost us a penny. Thanks for all the time you put into this Chris.
Another fantastic video Chris. I currently run several Linux distros in VMs on my Win PC, thanks to your videos, it makes my learning cure toward Linux so much more accessible.
I appreciate you and your channel enough to have referenced many of your topics to friends. In my mind, security trumps networking and all other topics.
You make the world a better place💐 @ Dual boot: ...One learns a lot about Grub, boot-loaders and Windows recovery...🙄 A solution I had good experiences with was keeping the old pc when I bought a new one and running the old with Linux! I was able to extend the use of an old system for 10 years! One reason I was able to do this was a ...certain computer explaining channel that informed me about dystros that cater to old hardware! 😉
love the diction and pacing of your videos. it's almost therapeautic. i'm always learning one thing or another from every upload even as an "IT guy". thanks for your service to the public!
I'm going to try Wine on my Gentoo.
I know I'm gonna love this series a lot. please keep up the amazing work!
Wine on gentoo ? You're a brave one. Good luck !
10:51 What a great showcase of why to switch to Linux from Windows. :D
Sir, I think that you are one of the greatest content creators out there.
Thank you for the great video.
After watching and reading some of the other operating systems out there, I just really want to learn more about them, and these videos are doing an amazing job at it.
21:52 without doubt, Windows is the best operating system {sharp intake of breath}... for running Windows applications {and relax -phew}
:)
Another great video Chris! Abstraction rules! Something I’ve noticed is that any application or OS, through ongoing use, trains us to accept its own particular ways as normal. Use it and in time it becomes intuitive, but this is different from instinctive. By using Windows, Linux and MacOS regularly it is possible to become quite multi-lingual, which seems to enhance the experience of them all. I’d love to see a video on ‘abstraction’, and how it so totally (and helpfully) creates an illusion that there is more here than zeros and ones. BSD and Linux are so close that the differences are more like local accents than different species. The abstraction fools us so helpfully.
A thoroughly interesting video from Chris at EC, I learn something new every Sunday! I think that security for the next video in this series is important, running windows software in wine does come with it's risks, not to say that Linux is a 100% secure it's not. Maybe another video about running a VM using pass through in quemu KVM where it can access the GPU for better performance in video/photo editing or for games, maybe in the pipeline? :)
Awesome episode. Although I have been using Debian for years at home, I always pick up helpful information from your episodes. Again, great series, and I hope more viewers open their eyes get away from expensive and proprietary software, and finally become part of the greater community that has made the transition. Cheers.
I love the use of the word "Exciting" :D
And here we meet again!
Greetings 🎉
Greetings!
what an amazing content! Thanks Chris! While I already knew most things I still learnt something and you style of presentation is unmatched on youtube. One of the few channells among the 60 I am subscribed to that has "all notifications" enabled
Thanks Christopher, interesting video. I declare I am solely using Linux everyday, I'll continue to use virtual machines for installing Windoz when I really have to!
This is great info for the newcomer. I'm a long time linux users, as long as is possible actually. But always had to keep a dual boot or a separate Windows machine to run Windows software. But happily I'm almost free of such software outside of work, and they have provided me with a laptop specifically for work. So my personal machines for the first time can be all Linux.
My kids play games so they will stick with Windows for the foreseeable future. Until Linux becomes accepted by the game developer industry anyway.
oh Netscape Navigator, must have missed that episode. Pure nostalgia.
Yet another exceptional guide, Chris, and as a recent adopter of Linux for my daily computing I'm sure I'm going to run into a Windows-need at some point and this is where I'll turn for help.
... However, I found myself considerably distracted once you showed off 3D Train Studio. I'm not even a model train guy (though I'm growing to appreciate them as well as real trains via a LOT of UK tv series devoted to them) but I immediately needed to look this up and see if I can get it running on my laptop!
I find that I enjoy your presentation a lot.. I can't say why, but I do.
Thanks Chris. I had MS Office running under Wine for Long time. It worked well. Cheers
Not first but always here to learn about Tech and English at the same time
Thanks for watching. :)
Clear, concise and complete as usual. I've been playing around with ARM distros for my Raspberry Pi 400 and have been seeing some interesting choices. I'm interested in using WINE on the ARM platform.
amazing summary of the options available.
This is an excellent video on this topic, showing in one place the various options to use Windows programs. Well done, sir!
6:27 possibly the funniest moment of my weekend, thank you!!
:)
Glad to see you looking chipper and thanks for another great presentation.
Excellent! The Win11 install Reg hack was brilliant. Cheers.
I love Linux.I switched this August from win10 to Manjaro and it's great even good for gameing.
Best way to enjoy both operating systems is keeping Windows on your main laptop and buy a second laptop (lower in specs, could be second hand) for Linux.
Thanks a bunch for these videos. They really help with my understanding of Linux. I learn something from every video of yours, even if I feel I know a subject you cover. Keep up the great work!
Chris the first thing we need to do after we have installed linux is to never talk about windows … just kidding great video as usual
:)
15:18 Local accounts can be created in Home Edition, simply by tricking the installer by disconnecting your VM from the Internet right when it asks for your Microsoft account. Or, you can use Pro Edition as you have done in this video.
I am surprised to hear this, as I have tried repeatedly to create a local account in the Windows 11 Home edition by disconnecting as you, and always on installation reboots it requires an account to be created before it will complete (unlike in Windows 10, where this indeed words). Being online is, after all, a requirement of Home installation. But I can believe there are hacks!
Sweet! Hopefully I can run my image editor built for PC. It's one of the main programs that's been keeping me from dumping Windows.
Really excellent choices, with important nuances. Thanks for another great video Chris.
Linux is better than windows.. all thanks to your amazing job in this video
Great video as usual from EC! I could never see any good reason for switching from Unix-type operating systems to DOS, and later Windows, so don't have that problem of switching to Linux with all its associated withdrawal symptoms. My recommendation for Windows users is to go cold-turkey, dump it entirely for Linux, then never look back. 🙂
Thank you, is avery helpful presentation, you a are a great trainer, when I need any clarifications I'm looking in "EC" at the biggening and in 7 of 10 time I found what I need, really thank you Mr Barnett.
Your next installment of the Linux Survival Guide, should include networking for sure. Everything these days are about networking.
Thank you for another great video! I'm actually trying to get my work pc setup to run linux with windows on a virtual machine recently, so this helps a lot. I would like to see a video on networking. In particular, how to connect with RDP and shared network folders between Linux and windows pc's on a local network. Thanks again. Take care
the linux security is what gets my attention most networking i already have learned and printing and obviously i know gaming on linux Isn't covered in this channel but that's fine with me i had a SSD before and i liked it
Great Video! Love the series. My vote would be Network, then Security, then peripherals like printers. Running my duel boot daily driver and have had a few hung boots. Haven't yet made a VM of Windows in Linux yet, and I think you have just given me the inspiration to take that next step. The XP VM is a great idea. Thanks again, for another great video.
Those installation rabbit holes are sufficiently contorted that keeping a trail of breadcrumbs (or roll of wool, if you're a classicist) in the form of copious notes is pretty well mandatory. Even if you don't have to retreat a step or two occasionally, it must be easy to forget which stage you've reached.
Oh yes, notes are a must!
I agree it's the only way to go. The most important thing to do first is defrag the windows hard drive then backup everything. I watched quite a lot of RUclips vids & took copious notes of how to install the system safely, use of the various terminal commands (nothing to be scared of) & how to repair grub using a live ISO and the terminal. I did several dry runs using the live disk before switching to a dual boot system (Linux Mint 17.3 & W7). I've never looked back
Keeping detailed notes was a technique I discovered for myself very early on. Trying to juggle everything in the mind may seem possible and perhaps it even is. But why make things harder than they need to be? Then if I ever need to refer back to what I've done computers are better at remembering than I am.
Thank you very much for the hint on how to bypass W11's TPM check!!!
This Linux series was a good idea and there's good stuff here. I'm sure I would have learned a lot from it it it was around when I switched to Linux. But I did okay anyway. I agree that the virtual-machine option is the way to go in more important applications and that's my plan for the one thing I have that needs Windows when the time comes. Much to my surprise, when I needed to set up a Zoom situation for a family member last year, I saw that they had a native Linux version available. I was expecting having to make it work either with WINE or a VM, so that made things a lot easier. Very smart on their part, in my opinion.
man your videos are treasures love you from 🇩🇿🇩🇿
An addition I'd make the the Remote Desktop option: I have a spare PC I run as a Media Server, but it is running standard Windows underneath, so I can run any programs I need through an RDP client.
Granted, it can be expensive to buy an entirely new PC just for occasional use, but mine is a used Dell Optiplex 3020 that I got from Ebay for only around £40, and it works like an absolute dream. Compact case too!
This is EXACTLY what I need !! AND I understand it !!
Now this is interesting, we are back in the classroom👩🏫🧑🏫👨🏫
I great way to start your Sunday
We've just had a couple of SBC videos, so now a couple on something else! :)
@@ExplainingComputers / hi Chris, yes it’s a welcome change. Something new for all of us Sunday morning desk jockey’s. 👍🏼
Update. Received my new Raspberry Pi zero 2 yesterday so it time to switch out the old one and see how MotionEye0S works on the “2”
Cheers